2014 December Commencement – Photo Slideshow

DSU held its 2014 December Commencement on Dec. 13 in the Memorial Hall Gymnasium where more than 200 graduates received their diplomas.

For images of the December Commencement, click on the below link followed by more information about the graduation event:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/48216028@N03/sets/72157649735229911/show

Among the 2014 December undergraduates receiving their diplomas, four completed their academic journey as Summa Cum Laude (3.75 GPA and above), 10 as Magna Cum Laude (3.5 to 3.74), 13 as Cum Laude (3.25 to 3.49), and 13 as Honorable Mention (transfer students with 60 or more credit hours at DSU).

DSU President Harry L. Williams presented the Presidential Academic Award to Marco Kano, an international student from Bradenburg, Germany, who maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his entire undergraduate journey. Mr. Kano has completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics.

Dr. Williams presented an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to Beatrice “Bebe” Coker, a community activist in Wilmington and throughout the state of Delaware, as well as a strong supporter of DSU. The DSU president noted that she was instrumental in working with DSU and the State of Delaware to create the Inspire Scholarship, and also has “served as an important advisor to the University on numerous issues, has been an overall champion for the University and has helped raise funds for DSU especially among the churches around the state and in Wilmington in particular.”

The keynote speaker was Dr. Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University, who alluded to the current activism over the injustices of police actions in Ferguson, Mo. and New York City to challenge the graduates to go beyond simply being involved in the highly visible demonstrations.

“The real world needs real leaders concerned real people,” Dr. Kimbrough said. “At some point, the hands are going to go down, Labron (James) and Derrick Rose aren’t going to be wearing warm-up shirts that say ‘I can’t breathe,’ and the 4 to 15-minute die-ins will end; and when that happens, that’s when the real work begins.”